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Myaccount celebrates over 500,000 registered users

Myaccount, the secure sign-in service for online public services in Scotland, has reached a milestone of half a million registered users. A Glasgow resident has become the 500,000th person to register with the service.

Myaccount provides secure, standards-based authentication for digital public services – allowing citizens to create a single online account to access a range of services and providing service providers with a free, easily integrated solution. It is operated by the Improvement Service and funded by Scottish Government.

It is currently used by 24 Scottish councils and other organisations for a range of services including:

paying for school meals and trips

applying for benefits and permits

making GP appointments and checking diabetes test results

applying for free bus travel

updating a Young Scot card photo

checking council tax and rent transactions and balances

accessing free public wifi

making school placing requests

applying for free school meals and clothing grants

reporting environmental services such as missed bin collections

Sarah Gadsden, the Improvement Service’s interim Chief Executive, said: “This is a a key milestone for the myaccount service as it reaches its 500,000th user, helping connect people with digital public services in ways that they find increasingly useful and convenient. Digital public services are shown to reduce costs and help free-up resources. It’s pleasing that myaccount is making a positive contribution to the service transformation clearly underway in Scotland.”

Future developments

Use of myaccount is expected to continue to grow due to developments in education and health and social care (priority areas for support by the IS in 2018/19). Parentsportal.scot, an Improvement Service/SEEMiS collaboration designed to transform the way schools engage with parents, is about to launch. NHS Scotland’s Health and Social Care Portal and My Diabetes My Way platform are also part of the myaccount ‘family’.

Additionally, a partnership between the IS and Young Scot will improve the way services and information are offered to Scotland’s young people using smart and mobile technology. Young people will be able to get secure online access to personalised services, information, rewards and discounts. The developments also include new features like ‘smart’ Proof of Age and ‘smart’ Proof of Entitlement from mobile devices. The partnership has a broader target to help tackle transport poverty and inequalities in terms of access to employment, skills and training.

Martin Brown of the Improvement Service added: “We continue to experience strong growth in uptake and adoption of myaccount. Strategic partnerships, for example, with Young Scot and SEEMiS Group, are expected to contribute towards even stronger growth and greater benefits for people in Scotland. We’re always looking for new and exciting opportunities and we’d like to hear from any organisations interested in getting involved.”

More information

The Improvement Service (IS) is the national improvement organisation for local government in Scotland.

Our purpose is to help councils and their partners to improve the health, quality of life and opportunities of all people in Scotland through community leadership, strong local governance and the delivery of high quality, efficient local services.

Through a series of principles, the IS works to promote improvement in local government and among its partners to support them improve outcomes and reduce the outcome gaps within populations and within areas.

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